Kieran Read training with Counties Manukau in 2018. Photo / Photosport
Kieran Read's influence on the Counties Manukau region will stretch well beyond his on-field contributions this provincial season.
Just as Dan Carter sharing his knowledge helped the Blues behind the scenes so, too, will Counties benefit from Read imparting his invaluable experience on the next generation.
Read, the dual World Cup winning No 8, last played in January and will therefore be eased into his rugby resumption after gaining approval from his Japanese club Toyota to sign with Counties for the full Mitre 10 Cup provincial season.
Auckland's lockdown permitting, Read will commute from Christchurch to link with the Counties squad next week for their camp in Ohope ahead of a pre-season hit out against Bay of Plenty in Whakatane on September 4, with a view to being ready for the Steelers' season-opener against Tasman in Pukekohe on September 12.
Over the past six months he has maintained fitness through home gym work and running but will now need to adjust to taking contact again.
While other high profile returnees such as Ben Smith, Ryan Crotty and Liam Squire were not able to play for New Zealand sides due to prohibitive insurance costs, former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, as director of rugby at Toyota, helped pave the way for Read to pull on the Counties colours.
"I'm very thankful to Steve and Simon Cron our coach as well, they understand for me as an older athlete it's a long time out of the game," Read said on Monday after the Herald revealed he had signed with Counties.
"We weren't going to be playing in Japan until January so we weighed up whether it's best to have pre-season or actually get some games under my belt so I'm thankful for the opportunity to play some footy.
"It's been a long year I've only played a couple of games so they've given me the opportunity to get back on the field here with Counties and I'm really excited by that. It ticks a few boxes for the body but also for me in terms of being able to give back. That's where I'm at in my career. It's a place that's dear to my heart so to give back as much as I can to the region is what I'm looking forward to doing.
"Dad was pretty happy. He's a man of not too many words so he said 'well done' and a good nod so he was proud."
Read signed with Toyota for the 2020 and 2021 seasons after leading the All Blacks to third place at last year's the World Cup in Japan. At that stage, he had given up the prospect of making his proper debut for his home province, having played once previously in a 2018 preseason match on return from back surgery.
"That was one of my dreams growing up but I didn't get that chance. These are pretty crazy times with what's happening in the world I'm back in New Zealand at the moment. I'm very fortunate to get this chance. My club in Japan kind of realised I don't need to be on the sidelines for much longer."
Emerging as a talented rugby and cricket prospect from Drury, where his parents still reside, Read was inspired by icons of South Auckland rugby. The 34-year-old's full circle journey now gives him the chance to savour a return to his roots and draw crowds to the same grassroots venue he attended as a kid.
"South Auckland shaped me as a person growing up. I absolutely love it. Jonah was my hero. He was the guy who really inspired me to play. To see him first hand and see what he did around the community as well was huge. Then the likes of Jim Coe. I watched him play and how tough he was for Counties and what he did for the province and then I got to play under him for the secondary school team. Those types of blokes were real heroes I looked up to."
Phone calls with requests for Read to make club rugby appearances throughout the Counties region have already started flooding in and it's in these instances, as well as his influence on the younger members of the Steelers squad, where the true value of his presence will be keenly felt.
"Yes I want to try and play well but I think it's bigger than that. Hopefully I can utilise the knowledge and skills I've picked up over my career to help them out."